10 Sen - Taishō Japanese Siberian Expedition

Features

Issuer Siberia (Russia)
Type Local banknote
Year 7 (1918)
Calendar Japanese - Taishō era
Value 10 Sen (0.10)
Composition Paper
Size 109 × 76 mm
Shape Rectangular
Demonetized 1945
Number
N#
217172
References P# M13,
Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Paper Money. Modern issues 1961-present (25th edition). Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin, United States.
And 2 more volumes.
JNDA# 13-19
Japan Numismatic Dealers Association (editor); 2023. 日本貨幣カタログ = The Catalog of Japanese Currency. Self-published, Tokyo, Japan.

Obverse

Japanese text flanked by two phoenix and two dragons at center, Russian legends at left and right.
Black on ochre underprint.

Lettering:
  票手用军
10 Сенъ Японскою Монетою
10     拾
 (seal script)
   金
   拾
   錢

   大
   日
   本
   帝
   國
   政
拾  府   10
Императорское Японское Правительство.
 行発年七正大

Translation:
Military note
10 sen Japanese coin
Ten

Gold ten sen
Imperial Japanese Government
Ten
Imperial Japanese Government.
Year 7 of Taishō issue

Reverse

Ochre text in cartouche on decorative guilloche with red seal below

Comments

For purpose of complete economic subordination of all occupied Russian lands, special yen were issued and by printing these unbacked banknotes with a forced exchange rate, Japan covered the costs of maintaining the Kwantung Army and provided fabulous profits to its monopolies, which bought up the national wealth of the occupied regions.
A feature of the occupation banknotes was that in Japan itself, these yen were not considered a currency and were not allowed into circulation.

After the failure of the Japanese expedition and the expulsion, the command of the Japanese army destroyed the stocks of unissued military yen, as well as the local population, which never completely accepted them. As a result, these banknotes have become quite a rarity.

The final military currency issued before the Shōwa era is referred to as Siberian Intervention Notes. In 1918 Japan sent troops to support the allied intervention in Siberia against Soviet Russia Russian Civil War. When the Revolution and civil war lead Russian monetary system to collapse, Japan looked for ways to exploit the situation by releasing their own currency in the regions. Siberian Intervention Notes were issued in August 1918. These notes circulated while the Imperial Japanese Army continued to occupy parts of Siberia even after the other Allied forces withdrew in 1920. Siberian Intervention Notes were actively collected by the Japanese government when soldiers returned in October 1922. Those that weren't collected remained in circulation as convertible banknotes that could be exchanged for Bank of Japan notes of the same value. This period of exchange lasted until September 1945 when the Ministry of Finance declared them invalid.

See also

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Date VG F VF XF AU UNC
7 (1918)  Photo

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Past sales

Pictures Sale Date Grade Sold price
Picture 1 of a sold 10 Sen - Taishō (Japanese Siberian Expedition)Picture 1 of a sold 10 Sen - Taishō (Japanese Siberian Expedition)
Katz
Auction 80
Lot 1432
Internet Archive
5 Apr 2023 VF USD 157.55
(EUR 146.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 10 Sen - Taishō (Japanese Siberian Expedition)Picture 1 of a sold 10 Sen - Taishō (Japanese Siberian Expedition)
Katz
Auction 74
Lot 684
Internet Archive
29 Dec 2022 F USD 130.57
(EUR 121.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
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